No snow job: Meeting to choose new School Committee member postponed by storm

Friday

Feb 7, 2014 at 6:00 AM

By Ken Cleveland ITEM CORRESPONDENT

CLINTON — The selection of a new member of the Clinton School Committee will wait a week after Wednesday's snowstorm canceled the planned joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.

The joint meeting is needed to fill the seat recently vacated by Angela LeBlanc and was rescheduled to this coming Wednesday (Feb. 12)

Three people have submitted letters of interest for the position: Gordon Graham, Lisa McPhee and Tim Poynton.

Poynton sought a seat last year and lost to Joel Bates in an election to fill the remaining two years of Kelly Turcotte's seat after she resigned.

McPhee sought a School Committee seat in 2010, but was not successful.

Graham was previously a member of the board, serving three terms ending in 1986. He returned to Clinton in 2011 after a number of years in Ireland.

The person appointed to the open seat will have to run in the annual town election to remain on the board for the remaining year of LeBlanc's original three-year term.

Because it is an elected position, when a sitting member leaves, a new member is elected by the remaining School Committee members and the members of the Board of Selectmen to fill the seat until the next town election.

Poynton wrote in his letter of interest that, "I feel I may bring a useful perspective that could help the schools continue on the positive trajectory we have observed recently," noting the elementary school's classification as a "Level 1" school and success at the high school level.

"To continue in this positive direction, I would strive to help the committee make the best choices possible based on evidence – evidence that includes not only numbers such as MCAS scores and graduation rates, but also 'softer' evidence such as survey data and the opinions of stakeholders and 'local experts' – our students, teachers, administrators, and community members," Poynton said.

McPhee wrote that, "as a former licensed teacher in history and special education, I care enormously about public school education. I am excited about the unique opportunity to serve my new found community."

She added that "during the Veterans in Classroom day, I challenged the students to volunteer in their community and to be part of something bigger than themselves. I see this position as that opportunity to serve and volunteer my distinctive skills as an educator and college business officer for my new home of Clinton. I take great pride in my service in the American Legion as commander and want to continue that mind set of giving back to my community."

Graham said he did not intend to seek the seat for a longer term.

"I offer my service based on experience, but also with no ambition to re-enter the political career of my native town," Graham wrote in his letter.

He noted his involvement in education continued during his foreign service in Ireland and that, since returning to the United States, he has been involved in adult education, including two reading groups at the library and Museum of Russian Icons.

"It might also be relevant that I reside in housing as neighbor to more than a dozen non English-speaking families whose youngsters attend our public schools and I am a regular monitor of parent satisfaction," Graham wrote.